• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result

The World’s Best Infrastructure

Kathleen Peddicord by Kathleen Peddicord
Jun 25, 2013
in Retirement/Living
0
Real State Investors in panama creating new buildings in Panama City
209
SHARES
3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Where Things Work

In our recently released “Retire Overseas Index,” we make the point that your choice as to where to retire overseas must be localized, for you are not going to retire to a country but to a specific spot within that country.

Still, some factors are, indeed, country-relevant. Infrastructure is one of these.

In fact, infrastructure is relevant both for any country you might consider and, as well, for any localized spot within that country. The infrastructure in Panama overall is of a high standard, higher than anywhere else in the region. However, the infrastructure in Panama City is considerably more developed than that in Mariato, a small town on the western coast of the Azuero Peninsula.

For this reason, we consider infrastructure twice in our Retire Overseas Index, first for the country in question and again for the thin-sliced spot we’re highlighting.

In the context of the country overall, we take into account access to North America and the number and standard of international airports; roads; availability of public transportation; telecommunications (cell phones and internet); and construction standards in general and specifically to do with the sewage systems.

For each localized spot, we consider localized public transit; access to the rest of the country; localized telecommunications; and local construction standards. Generally, for this category, we try to answer the following question for each destination being highlighted: Do things work here?

We award the following countries top scores (that is, “A’s”) in this category:

  • Argentina
  • Colombia
  • France
  • Malaysia
  • Uruguay

France probably requires no explanation, but you may be surprised by the other countries on this list. Bottom line, these are all countries where, as I suggested above, things work…where it’s easy to get to the country and to get around inside it once you’re there…where telecommunications are reliable and you can count on getting an internet connection and signal for your cell phone…where the garbage is collected reliably…the sewage systems do their thing…etc.

However, while France deserves an “A” for infrastructure overall, the Languedoc (thinking locally) gets a “B.” In all France, you’ll enjoy First World-standard services and support; however, the Languedoc is a relatively small region. This isn’t Paris, and you can’t expect all the infrastructure of, say, Paris. It does, though, have four airports connecting to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and continental Europe; high-speed trains to Bezier from Paris and on to Barcelona or Toulouse and Bordeaux; and good local bus service.

On the other hand, we give not only Colombia but also Medellin; not only Uruguay but also Costa de Oro; and not only Argentina but also Mendoza top scores for infrastructure.

Also note that, in four cases, we award “A’s” to the specific destination we’re highlighting in our index even though the country where that destination is found gets a lower infrastructure score. Specifically, we give the following spots top marks but their respective countries “B’s,” because, while in the localized spot we’re recommending the infrastructure is top-notch and reliable, that’s not the case elsewhere in this country:

  • Cuenca, Ecuador
  • Hua Hin, Thailand
  • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The big loser in the infrastructure category is Belize. We give the country an “F.” We give both Ambergris Caye and Cayo failing grades, as well. Big picture or small, there’s no two ways about it: The infrastructure in Belize is limited. In most of the country, you might say it’s non-existent.

On the face of it, that’d seem a good reason to take Belize off any top retirement havens list, wouldn’t it? Why, then, do we include it on ours? Because, in Belize, an utter lack of First World infrastructure is part of the charm…part of the appeal. For many, this is precisely the reason they seek Belize out.

I’m exaggerating a little. The infrastructure in Belize is not non-existent. There are roads in this country, for example three of them. There is an international airport, of course. Unfortunately, it sits in Belize City, one of the least appealing cities in the world. There are hospitals, but, as I’ve mentioned, you may prefer to go to Mexico or even Miami for care. There is internet but no Skype; the country’s monopoly phone company won’t allow it.

On the other hand and perhaps at least in part because the country is as under-developed as it is Belize is the best place I know to leave the rest of the world behind and embrace a back-to-basics lifestyle, what might be called the “resilient life.” Retirees interested in self-sufficient living should put Belize at the top of their lists. Belize has all the infrastructure you need, including and especially an abundance of sunshine, fresh water, and fertile land.

Kathleen Peddicord

Comments

Tags: Overseas Retirement letterRetire Overseas Indexretire to BelizeWorld’s Best Infrastructure
Share84Tweet52
Previous Post

How To Retire Overseas

Next Post

Tax & Residency Friendly Countries

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.

Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Her newest book, "How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad," published by Penguin Random House, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.

Related Posts

Cinta Costera, Panama City, Panama
Retirement/Living

How To Move Abroad: The #1 Tip To Start Your New Life Overseas

by Kathleen Peddicord
April 18, 2021
0

The key to finding the right fit for your new life overseas is having a clear picture in your mind...

Read more
Grilled sardines with salad, bread and potato, Portugal.

Food, Wine, Customs, And Culture In The Algarve, Portugal

April 16, 2021
Toledo, Spain.

Why You Shouldn’t Retire Overseas

April 11, 2021
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Where Are The Cheapest Places In The World

April 9, 2021
Doi Inthanon National Park when sunset, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The Top 10 Best Places To Live In Asia For Retirees

April 8, 2021
San Pedro Beach, Belize

What I’ve Learned From Living 6 Years In Corozal Town, Belize

April 7, 2021
The Marble Temple, Wat Benchamabopit Dusitvanaram at sunset in Bangkok, Thailand.

Culture Shock In Asia

April 6, 2021
Next Post
Tax & Residency Friendly Countries

Tax & Residency Friendly Countries

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

how to retire overseas

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2021

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

WANT TO RETIRE OVERSEAS?

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll immediately send you a free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE in style overseas. Each day you’ll learn about the best opportunities for international living, retiring overseas, offshore diversification and asset protection, and investing in real estate around the world.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.